2025 Volkswagen Tiguan Review -- Small Steps Forward, Small Steps Back

Watch out for elk, we were warned before taking the 2025 Volkswagen Tiguan to the rural roads surrounding Bozeman, Montana. Especially since some of the crests on the country two-lanes are blind.

I saw no elk -- just some deer -- while testing the refreshed Tiguan. Unlike other members of the deer family, the elk apparently weren't interested in checking out this Volkswagen.

Too bad, because if they'd taken an interest, I'd have plenty to say to them. Instead, you'll be the ones getting my words about this updated compact two-row crossover.

I'd start by telling them the refreshed Tiguan drives a lot like the outgoing model, though it feels a tad lighter on its feet. I'd also say it handles well, especially in Sport mode, is more engaging to drive than others in this segment, and the changes to the interior controls end up with mixed results.

(Full disclosure: Volkswagen flew me to Bozeman and housed and fed me so I could drive the new Tiguan. While we saw no elk, we did meet a very good Corgi who has been elected deputy mayor of a tiny town just outside Bozeman. Given the state of both major American political parties, perhaps electing actual dogs is an improvement. Although Snickers' desire for head pats made me wonder if our furry friends are too easily bribed. As far as swag goes, I did take home a notebook, pen, and backpack patch.)

I first laid my eyes upon the 2025 Tiguan in a warehouse space in Los Angeles last fall, as part of the 2024 LA Auto Show. That's where I learned the refreshed Tiggy gets a lower front fascia, optional full-width front light bar, a shortened rear overhang, a rear spoiler, and a sloping roofline. There are also three new available exterior paint colors, including the Avocado Green Pearl you'll see in some photos. Lastly, there are new available wheel designs, and you can size them at 17-, 18-, 19-, or 20-inches depending on trim.

Inside, there's no more optional third seating row, and the gearshift is now mounted on the steering column. The center console is now extendable, and a large knob controls audio volume, drive mode, and ambient lighting. The infotainment screen is larger, and walnut wood trim is optional.

Wireless phone charging is available -- the charger is in a little sleeve -- and digital gauges are now standard.

Perhaps the biggest interior change is that the steering-wheel buttons revert from haptic touch to physical buttons.

The Tiguan now rides on the MQB Evo platform, and it sheds up to 170 pounds compared to its predecessor, depending on trim/equipment, at least according to VW (I don't travel with a vehicle-sized scale, so I can't verify this independently). Underhood is the familiar 2.0-liter turbocharged EA888 four-cylinder. It's tweaked to gain some power -- changes to the camshaft design, injection system, and the turbo itself, among other tweaks, help boost the horsepower from 184 to 201. Torque remains the same at 221 lb-ft for all-wheel drive models and 207 for front-wheel drive. All variants use an eight-speed automatic transmission.

Drive modes include Normal, Sport, Eco, and Individual, while all-wheel drive models have Snow and Off-Road modes, and add a Comfort on-road mode.

I got two stints behind the wheel -- a short around-town drive to grab some photos, and a longer loop that added freeway miles and twisty two-lane rural roads. Rain forced me to drive a little slower than I might otherwise, but I still was able to push the Tiguan in a fairly spirited manner.

The ride is on the stiff side, even in Comfort mode, though it's never punishing. I noticed a fair bit of tire noise, but much of the pavement surrounding Bozeman is pretty gritty. Not to mention, the radio was off for most of the drive -- some of that noise will be drowned out by music. I also noticed occasional wind noise from the A-pillars, but it wasn't much.

The Tiguan pulls OK, but a laggy throttle response disappoints. It's better in Sport but there's still a pause as the computer asks "are you sure you want to accelerate that fast?" That said, acceleration from 30-50 to freeway speeds felt brisk.

Steering is on the light side -- a VW hallmark -- but it felt a tad tighter in Sport mode. The Tiguan did turn-in sharply and with little body roll or little drama overall. Handling is definitely one of the Tiguan's strengths.

When it comes time to halt the festivities, the binders are stout and smooth.

I know sportiness isn't necessarily the highest priority for crossover buyers, but for those who do care, the Tiguan is more engaging than the Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4. So it's got that going for it, which is nice.

Cabin materials seemed price-point appropriate, though VW's stubbornness when it comes to haptic touch still befuddles. I like that the steering-wheel controls are now buttons -- the setup is familiar and easy to use. And the big center-stack knob makes it easy to get to the desired drive mode -- otherwise you have to menu dive, which is distracting at speed.

I will give VW some credit -- the haptic climate controls worked better than in previous applications, and the large infotainment screen is easy to read. As are the digital gauges. I still feel like certain controls require too much use of the menus, but this setup is better than what VW offered just a couple of years ago. That old setup might've been a dealbreaker, but this one you can live with.

Rear-seat space was adequate for my taller frame.

Trims go as follows: S, SE, SE R-Line Black, and SEL R-Line. Front-wheel drive is standard, but all trims are available with all-wheel drive, save the SEL R-Line, which has AWD standard. The base price is $29,495 for a FWD SE, while the SEL R-Line starts at $39,755. All-wheel drive is about a $1,500 option.

Standard features include 17-inch wheels, LED headlights and taillights, keyless entry, roof rails, dual-zone climate control, cloth seats, heated front seats, rain-sensing wipers, Wi-Fi, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless device charging, voice control, satellite radio, and IQ.Drive advanced driver-assist. Eighteen-inch wheels are a $300 option.

Step up to the SE and you'll add standard 19-inch wheels, remote start, alarm, power tailgate, interior chrome, leatherette seats, ambient lighting, and more. A panoramic sunroof is a $1,200 option on the SE.

SE R-Line Blacks add standard 20-inch black wheels, black roof rails and badging, exterior chrome, unique R-Line badging and exterior trim pieces and accents, panoramic sunroof, R-Line steering wheel, head-up display, and stainless-steel pedals. A black roof is available for $395.

Finally, the SEL R-Line comes standard with 20-inch silver wheels, illuminated logos and front light bar, three-zone climate control, heated steering wheel, leather seats, walnut dashboard decor, driver-seat memory, cooled front seats, massaging front seats, heated rear outboard seats, easy open/close tailgate, 30-color ambient lighting (opposed to 10 on the lower trims), 15-inch infotainment screen (as opposed to 12.9), navigation, and Harman Kardon audio. An additional $395 gets you a black roof and mirror caps.

IQ.Drive is standard with exit warning, park distance control, and light assist. If you get an SEL R-Line, it will add dynamic road-sign display, area view, and park-assist plus.

Overall, I enjoyed the 2025 Tiguan. The outgoing model was pretty good, and this one improves the driving dynamics a bit while also giving us back some, though not enough, in the way of physical controls.

I'll still ding this one for too much haptic-touch and too many controls that require mucking around in infotainment menus. I'd also tell those with truly heavy feet to wait for the 2026 Tiguan Turbo. And I remain mystified that there's no hybrid or plug-in hybrid option.

But the price isn't egregious -- although some desirable features are SEL R-Line only -- the handling is engaging, and the overall package is well put together. The RAV4 remains, at least for now, the head of this class, but the Tiguan is a strong contender for the shopper's dollar.

[Images © 2025 Tim Healey/TTAC.com]

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